Bailway-rail joint



Sept. 11, 1923.

1,467.431 J. A. HYLE RAILWAY RAIL JOINT Filed Dec. 9, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 11,1923.

. J. A. HYLE RAILWAY RAIL JOINT Filed Dec. 9, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. ll, 1 923.

JAUOB A. KYLE, 63 PHELADELFHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNGE; TO AMEEICAJBT JOINT GOMPANY, A CORPORATIUN OF IDIELAWAEE.

BAILEVAY-REJL J GEN '1.

Application filed December 9, 1922. Serial No. 8%,?57.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Jason A. iiYLE, a citizen of the United Eitates, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Railway-Rail Joints, of which the following is a. specification.

This invention relates -to a novel improvement in railway rail joints, and has special reference to the construction of the rail joint bars or plates, whereby the clampinp effect against the track rails at and near the meeting ends of the rails is more readily faciln tated and adapted to compensate for the wear which usually occurs at and near said meeting ends.

Theprime object of this invention is to provide novel, simple,durable, economical and thoroughly eflicient means for, safely and reliably uniting and securing the meetinc ends of railway track rails together, said means serving to materially increase the longevity of the rail joint and track rails.

A further object of the invention is to provide a safe and reliable railway rail joint composed of a minimum number of parts, with means for firmly securing: the several parts together when properly assembled, said joint including novel means adapted to compensate for the wear which customarily occurs at and near the juncture of the meeting ends of the track rails.

Another object of the invention is to so construct my improved rail joint that the meeting ends of the track rails will always possess a maximum amount of vertical strength. together with a maximum of latcral strength and rigidity to withstand the enormous strain to which the rails are subjected during the travel of the heavy rolling stock thereon.

Further objects of the invention are to so construct each rail joint splice bar or plate that it broken it will be impossible for the broken parts-of said bar or plate-to worl: outwardly and thus become a dangerous factor during the movement of the rolling stock thereover; to so construct each splice bar or plate that its outer face will be clamped by a wedge-shaped member throughout itslength; that the upper reinforced portion of each splice bar or plate will be caused to be readily flexed in contactwith the lower surface of the rail tread and the upper end portion of the web of the rail at and near the meeting ends of the rails, by

the proper adjustment of the wedge-shaped where the web merges into the rail base, and

comparatively thin intermediate portions connecting said head and foot portions adapted to yield when the wedge member is drawn or forced inwardly thereby causing the said splice bars or plates to snugly and securely contact with the web, tread and.

base of each rail; to so construct each wedge member with an excess of metal at its upper and lower portions that its strength and durability is materially increased, and with means coacting with means provided in the construction of the splice bars or plates, that the coaction between said bars or plates and the wedge-membersreadily facilitates compensation for the wear of the rails at and near their meeting ends, and toprovide means for insulating the track rails from the. joint members. 1'

Theforegoing and suchother objects as may appear from the ensuing description are accomplished by the construction, arrangement. location and combination oi": the parts hereinafter more fully described, illustreatod in the accompa-nvingi, drawings, and. particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto, it being understood that slight changes in the precise form, proportions and minor details of the construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantapes of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings which form a part of the specification it will be seen that Figure l is a perspective of the novel railway railjoint embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken in the plane of the dotted lines' 2-2, Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken in the plane of the dottedlines 3 3, Fig. 1, showmg means for insulating the track rails from the joint plates.

Fig. i is aside elevation of the outer face of one of the splice bars or plates shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, disconnected from thc'joint.

Fig. 5 is a cross-seotiontaken in the plane of the dotted lines 5--5, Fig. 4. p r,

Fig. 6 is a side, elevation of the outer face of one or" the Wedge-members removed from the joint, and

7 is a cross section tairen in the plane of thedotted lines 77, F ig. 6.

In the embodiment of my invention as illustrated, it will be seen by reference to Fig. 1, that the track rails l and 2 are shown as being connected together by the splice bars or lates 3-, each of said bars or plates, being r led from a single piece of steel, each of said bars or plates 3 being formed ith an elongated slotted opening 4 adjace t its head or upper-portion, extending the major portion of its length, and a similar elongated opening 5 adjacent its ,foot or lower portion for the purpose hereinafter described. Each bar or plate 3 is provided with an upper head member 6 formed with an excess of metal thickened or enlarged at 7 and is so shaped as to rest snugly and closely in contact with and clamp the under surface of the rail tread and the up er portion of the web of the rail, whilelthe )Ol3 or lower member 8 of said bar onplate is also formed with an excess of metal reinforced at 9, and so shaped as to tightly contact with and clamp the upper surface of the base of'the rail and the lowermost portion of the web of the track rail, the web portion 10 of said splice bar or plate being rolled comparatively thin for the purpose hereinafter referred to.

It will be observed that the outer face-of each splice bar or late 3 forms a wed shaped recess 11 or the reception 0 a wedge-shaped member -12 which is fitted within said recess overlapping the web ortion of said bar 'or plate 3, and exten ing throughout the-length of the said bar. Each wedge-shaped member is provided at its hea and foot portions with an excess of metal 13 adapted to materially addto its strength and durability, and isformed with four central openings theret-hrough for the reception of the securing bolts 14, each bolt being passed through similar openings formed through the track rails and splice bars or plates and adapted to register, and securely fitted to the threaded end of each bolt is a securing nut 14" adapted to contact with the outer face of the wedge-mem bers, said nuts being fitted so as to alternate on opposite sides of the joint. Each wedgev member is also provided with a recessed I inner face. said face terminating at both its upper and lower portion with an integral inward extension 15 so formed that the extensions 15 may readily enter the slots 4 and the reinforced head and foot portions of the 7 splice bars which are acted upon by said extension 15 to be flexed rigidly and tightly into contact with the upper-surface of the rail bases, respectively. Thus more direct strength is assured, and when the splice bars are away from the rail treads, and since ex ansion and contraction cause wear the s lice bars may be forced closer to the rails rom time to time as occasion may require by the, wear at and near the'meetmg ends of the rails, while the clamping effect of the.

bars and wedge-members is not'so intense at and near the ends thereof, hence the wave motion of the track rails, usually caused by travel of the rolling stock thereon, may pass through the joint to the rail ends, thereby lessening "and practically eliminating the tendency of the breakage of the trac rail in a plane with one or more of the bolt holes ,formed nearest the meeting ends ofthe rails,

thereby creating an annual saving of a con-' siderable amount to the railway system.

It will'be seen that each splice bar or plate is thckened or reinforced at the points 7 and 8, thus forming a dovetail like portion between said points and the outer side ofthe splice bar, which together with the clamping effect of the wedge members'againstthe outer face of the head andfoot' ortions of: the spl'ice'bars and the securing oltspassing through said splice bars, renders it practically impossible for aportion of the splice bar to work outwardly, either sidewise or endwise, in the event that said bar shall have become broken, thereb' preventing such broken part from (ca 1sing a dangerous menace and obstruction;

By my improved constructioli 'the batter-- ing of the ends of the rails is entirely eliminated by forcing the- 'wedge-rnlembers inwardly at and near the meeting lends of the rails. thereby causing the/ inner! extensions 15 of said members to enter thejy'slots 4 and 5 of the splice bars and thusflspreading; flexing, expanding or bowing upwardly such portions of the splice bars as are disposed at and near the juncture of the track rails into close and rigid contact withthe worn portions of the rails, thus lessening the clamping efi'ectat and near the outer ends of the joint and permitting the wave n10- tionof the rail to continue to the lower family at the end of the track rail, thereby avoiding the usual tendency of the breakage of the rail at one or the other of the bolt holes near its ends.

It will also be evident that the forcing of the wedge-members inwardly at and neartheir central portions will cause the extensions 15 to register with and to gradually enter the slots 4 and 5 of the splice bars, and from time to time, as the wear occurs, it can be readily compensated for by again forcing the wedge members inwardly, which action correspondingly flexes the head and foot portions of the splice bars into contact with the worn portion of the rail, and that such adjustment of the wedge-members will cause the securing nuts to remain under tension at all times. 7

It will be understood by this construction of rail joint the ordinary rail spikes such as shown at 16 are employed for fastening the track rails to the usual railway ties and that said joint may be used with or without the use of railway joint cross-ties to support or suspend it.

y referenceto Fig. 3 will be seen the means of insulating my improved joint, which consists in placing a single sheet of plate or insulating fibre 17. between each inner face of the splice bars and the track rails, said sheet extending throughout the length of each splice bar, and a sleeve 18 of insulating fibre passed through each bolt opening in the track rails and surrounding each bolt, and since the greatest wear upon the insulation will occur upon those portions which rest at and near the meeting ends of the track rails, each sheet or plate 17 of the fibre may be so constructed that they can be reversed edge for edge the entire lcngthof the joint, thereby practically doubling the longevity of the insulationv aving thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure 'by Letters Patent is:

1. A rail joint of the character described, comprising track rails, a splice bar formed with a recess within its outer face and a slot cut therethrough at each side of its longitudinal central portion, and; means fitted within said recess and slots for causing the upper and lower portion of said splice bar to be flexed against the rail tread and rail base, respectively.

9. A rail joint of the character described, comprising track rails, a splice bar formed with a recess within its outer face and a slot cut therethrough at either side of its 'lonitudinal central portion, and a wedge memfier fitted within said recess and formed with inward extensions engaging said slots and adapted to cause said splice bar to be flexed against the rail tread and rail "base respectively.

3. A rail joint of the character described, comprising track rails, a splice bar formed with outwardly extended head and foot portions and a recess within its outer face, said splice bar having longitudinal slots formed therethrough tion, and a within said recess and slots adapu to cause the splice bar to be flexed against the lower facejof the rail tread.

4. A rail joint of the character described, comprisino track rails, a splice bar formed with reinforced head and foot portions and a longitudinal slot formed therethrough adjacent both the head and foot portions, and a wedge-shaped member fitted into the outer face of said splice bar and provided with inward extensions adapted to engage said slots and flex said head and foot portions tightly against the track rails.

5. A rail joint of the character described comprising track rails, a splice bar formed with reinforced head and foot portions havat each side of its central porn a longitudinal slot formed therethrough a acent both the head and foot portions and a recessed outer face, and a wedge-shaped 'member fitted within said recess and provided with inward extensions formed on its inner face at its upper and lower portions, sail. extensions being adapted to entebsaid slots and flex said head and foot portions tightly into contact with the track rails.

6. A rail joint of the character described comprisim track rails, a splice bar formed with reinforced head and foot portions hav- Wedge-shaped member fitted ing a longitudinal slot cut therethroiigh ad jacent both the head and foot portions and a recessed outer face, said slots extending the major portion of the length of said bar, and a, wedge-shaped member, fitted Within said recess, reinforced at its upperand lower portions and its inner face being, provided with an inward extension at its gipper and lower portions, said extensions being adapt ed to engage with said slots and expand said head and foot portions tightly into contact with the track rails.

7. A rail joint of the character described, comprising track rails, a splice bar at each side of the track rails, each splice bar formed with reinforced head and foot portions and having a longitudinal slot, j acent the head and the foot portions extend, ing the major portion of the length of the bar, said bar having a solid central portion and a recess formed within its outer face, a wedge-shaped member fitted within said recess and its inner face formed with inward extensions at its up er and lower portions adapted to enter said slots and force said head and foot portions tightly into contact with the rail tread and means for from the track therethrough ad- JACOB A. HYLE'. 

